Bolt vs Single vs AR

Originally Posted By: varminter12Does everyone talk about how their rifle cuts dimes? blahblahblah. Coyotes aren't the size of dimes and 9 times out of 10 (in my experiences) the coyote is within 150yds. If you can't hit a coyote with any type bolt, single shot, ar style then you better go back to the range and practice! I personally know a guy who hunts with a $25 garage sale 22 single shot that probably killed more coyotes than half the people on this site! lol Just trying to keep things real guys! When it comes down to it, dead is dead no matter what you used. I learned that from a buddy on a bear hunt this year. Good post!

Are you talking about yours being a good post?

Dead is dead. That's brillant. Why didn't I think of that.
 
I own a couple ARs and many bolt guns, can't comment on the single shots as I don't own one(but a no.1 is on my short list). The bolts are what I carry when hunting, not because the ARs aren't accurate. I have 2 ARs very capable of bolt gun accuracy one frankengun and one a DPMS 24" bull, I would really love to hunt with the AR but the PA Game Commision is a bit behind the times.....no semi-auto rifles allowed.
 
I don't have an AR yet, but I do have some bolt guns. I had a NEF .223, but I got rid of it after I missed a bobcat and the follow up shot took too long, yes it was my fault and I should have it the first time. I also was calling in a lot of doubles too.
I would carry my CZ to every stand if my son wouldn't beat me to it. I have planted a few doubles with it too. But I usually hunt with a partner and we decide which one we are taking before we shoot.
Whatever you are confident with, than use it.
 
RRA promise 3/4 MOA for 5 shots,for under $1100.00 easy.Very few bolts can offer that out of the box.Originally Posted By: thefleenyeah bolts definately. ARs are great but if you demand more accuracy at longer distances( and dont wanna spend 3,000) on an AR. get a bolt
 
I like AR's and bolts. I kind of carry the gun according to the terran I'm gonna be hunting. If I am calling in creeks and draws where coyotes are gonna get in closer then 200 yards, I LOVE my M4gery! Plenty accurate, lots of rounds in the mag, zero recoil. If I am gonna be heading out to really open pasture area's where it's real flat there isn't much cover I usually tote one of my .243's shooting either 58g. Vmax, or 70 g. Sierra HPBT depending on which one gets the nod.
 
In .223, I have two ARs and one Bolt Action...The only single shot I own is a .22lr...(I can probably get a second shot off with it as fast as I can crank the bolt on the other one)

Within reasonable limits (usually predicated by my ability/inability) each of them are equally accurate...Less that 2" groups at 200 yards..

One of the ARs has a custom built upper and the other is factory stock, with factory upgrades, with the exception of the trigger group...The only modification to the bolt action is the stock replacement.

The ARs allow me to have more rapid fire capability in the event it is needed for multiple targets, but I personally prefer to make each shot count, if at all possible..

I have a maximum of $1,000 in one of them and about $800 each in the other two..so I don't know where the $3,000 figure came from..

In the event I felt it was necessary to make a shot at 500+ yards, I would be more comfortable with the bolt action due to the scope being closer to the bore line, since it is very unlikely that I would attempt something that required a 'rapid fire' situation at that range..But for anything under 300 yards, it really doesn't make any difference what rifle I'm shooting..accuracy wise..
 
I have a lightweight bolt gun, that I hunted all over southern New Mexico with. I have even doubled with it a few times. Out there, long shots were common.
Now here in AZ, I use a lightweight AR, I tripled for the 1st time in my life last year.
IMHO, the bolts are a little more accurate, and better for longer ranges, but the semis win out in short range country, they allow for multiple shots.
Hey, NMHigh Plains, where do ya hail from?
 
Originally Posted By: varminter12Does everyone talk about how their rifle cuts dimes? blahblahblah. Coyotes aren't the size of dimes and 9 times out of 10 (in my experiences) the coyote is within 150yds. If you can't hit a coyote with any type bolt, single shot, ar style then you better go back to the range and practice! I personally know a guy who hunts with a $25 garage sale 22 single shot that probably killed more coyotes than half the people on this site! lol Just trying to keep things real guys! When it comes down to it, dead is dead no matter what you used. I learned that from a buddy on a bear hunt this year. Good post!

About the dime size group just saying if it can't hold the pattern together in these days and time I sell them and start over, I only got one rifle that won't produce and my kid wants it. It's just my expectations and everyone has expectations of wanting the best for the money.
 
Since your question was all rifles were in .223, just naturally I would have to say the AR. (Unless you had one bullet for each)

Looking a bit closer you would have to ask more questions.

Everyone using the same scope? Are any of them using a scope? The AR using a holo scope? The Single have a high power scope? What platform do you use to shoot off of? Bipod? Tripod? Free hand? Are you hunting woods, prairie, or desert?

Its safe to say with an AR you will have your next round ready to fire within a quarter second, but that doesn't mean you could hit acquire and hit your next target in a quarter second. A Bolt you can reload in about a second, and a single shot in about 2 seconds.

To re-acquire a next shot you probably will need a couple seconds on the same target to shoot with any accuracy, you'll gain a half second over the bolt with an AR, if you can get yourself to not fire before your ready (spray lead)

With a .223 it probably wouldn't be wise to shoot over 300 yards just because there isn't a hole lot of power left in the round after that distance, but 300 is a bit long for a holo sight or red dot.

If you have one guy (or gal) that can shoot free hand he should shoot the AR faster if they were all equal rifles other than the loading action. If everything was not equal aside from the action, thats where you would get some differences in the end result. Things such as a good free hand shooter with a single may be able to aquire 3 separate targets faster than a a guy with an AR on a bipod. A guy with a bolt and a good long range scope could shoot further than one with a holo sight. A guy with a holo could aquire 3 targets faster inside 50 yards than a guy with a scope on 8x.

AR should be better all setup the same (If you can contain yourself from spraying lead with the AR), but its all apples and oranges after the rifle is setup for a certain thing. Would you setup your AR as a long distance rifle? Would you setup your 7mm rem mag as a short distance rifle? No and no as far as I go.
 
If I were to have one rifle it would be the AR.
My bolt guns have to try hard to come up to its accuracy.
The bolt guns, (.223 & .243) I have were bought before the AR's were popular and available, but are good serviceable rifles.
My single shot is a NEF in .204 and it shoots a 1" group, but my AR does a 1/2".
I take the rifle that matches the conditions mostly. The .243 bolt gun goes with me when it is windy.
Most of the time I use the AR, but I have a very good , light Ruger 700 in .223. Probably would never bought another rifle if I had this AR that I have first.
I'm buying my grandkids their first rifle soon, and it will be in an AR.

Just some thoughts. It is as expensive to work up to an AR as it is to just buy one.

Pack
 
I choose bolt. I can't think of one time where I've missed a double or triple because the bolt wasn't as quick as the AR. I have never seen the advantage of a follow up shot being split second from an AR versus one second from a bolt.
In my opinion the only advantage with an AR is the mega capacity mag and I have never emptied the 4 or 5 round mag from by bolts hunting coyote. Shooting over a dog town is a totally different deal.
 
Originally Posted By: deadhorse Shooting over a dog town is a totally different deal.

It sure is. One of the main advantages shooting over a dog town is being able to see your misses and being instantly able to correct for them while keeping your target in the scope. I saw this as a huge advantage the first time that I went dog shooting when the only guy in our trio to make 500+ yard prairie dog hits was using an AR-15 and walking the shots to the dog. Convinced me. The next year I had my own. The rest, as they say, was history.
 
The biggest advantage of a gas operated self loader is the lessened recoil which enables you to get back on target quicker. With practice you can reload a bolt just as fast as the self loader, but it will take longer to get back on target.

Jack
 
Originally Posted By: Jack RobertsThe biggest advantage of a gas operated self loader is the lessened recoil which enables you to get back on target quicker. With practice you can reload a bolt just as fast as the self loader, but it will take longer to get back on target.

Jack

No offense Jack, but certainly would like to see anyone shoot a bolt gun as fast as someone can shoot a semi-auto. I just do not see how it could possibly be humanly possible. Working a bolt and pulling a trigger as fast as you can compared to just pulling a trigger as fast as possible, it sure seems to me that there would be no way even Superman could do that.
 
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